Don't Know What I'd Do
by Stormyskies89
Summary: While Andrea recovers after being raped and beaten, her father reflects on the times he always wants to remember about her and realizes more than ever that he doesn't know what he'd do if he ever lost her.


**Title:** If I Lost You

**Summary:** While Andrea recovers after being raped and beaten, her father reflects on the times he always wants to remember about her and realizes more than ever that he doesn't know what he'd do if he ever lost her.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own. Never will.

**A/N:** NO FLAMES! Not accepted.

**2****nd**** A/N:** This is an idea I had for another Numb3rs fic but I thought it worked better for this one now. I also don't like the end of it, but it had to end somewhere.

* * *

Don Eppes looked through the glass of the hospital room that housed his daughter. She was 16 and she was so beautiful. But it wasn't that that worried him. No it was how she looked. Pale, dirty and she had a large gash down one arm. She'd been raped and beaten. Left for dead. Closing his eyes against the hot, bitter burn of tears, he felt a small hand come to rest on his shoulder.

"Don? You ok?" Amita's voice sounded in his ear. His sister-in-law was the closest person Andrea had to mother after she moved to L.A. Charlie and his father stood nearby as well. Charlie looked as sick and Don felt. His little brother loved Andrea like she was his own; it was good to see that. He'd need the practice.

Don gave Amita a small sad smile, "I'll be ok. She's tough, she's a good kid." He said, Amita smiled in return.

"If she's anything like you and Robin she'll make it through." She said and patted his shoulder softly. Don nodded, _yeah _he thought, _she's a tough kid_. He closed his eyes again and sighed softly. He tried to remember when he'd first realized that she'd stopped been the kid his girlfriend had given birth to and started being his daughter.

"_Daddy?" Don looked up from the paper he was looking at and at the little girl standing in front of him in a pink dress with a matching hat perched on her head and she was resting her hands on her hips._

"_And whose this pretty young lady standing in front of me?" He asked; playing dumb with her, he knew kids liked that. Andrea was only 4-years-old. She smiled, giggled and climbed up onto his lap._

"_Do you like my new Dress, Daddy?" She asked, Don looked her up and down and nodded._

"_I do. It's very nice. Who bought it for you?" Don said._

"_Aunt 'Mita. She gave it to me. I think it's pretty." Andrea said. Don gave her a kiss on the head and told her that he was thought it pretty too._

She'd stopped being the kid his girlfriend have given him and started being his daughter.

* * *

"Mr Eppes?" Don looked up, Andrea's doctor stood in front of him, "your daughter is very lucky. The beating she suffered knocked her unconscious. It appears the rape happened after the beating. She put up a fight. She's a strong girl. Now her condition is coming good slowly. The blows to her head are the most concerning. They bruised her occipital lobe, and both of her temporal lobes. Worst case scenario she'll need corrective lenses and maybe a hearing aid." The doctor said, her face was solemn.

"She'll need glasses and she might be deaf?" He asked; he couldn't deal with that. Not now. Not by himself.

"She did get quite a beating, Mr Eppes. I'm sorry but it all depends on how it is when she wakes up." The Doctor said.

"But at the moment she looks ok?" He asked.

The doctor nodded, "Yes at the moment all her tests are promising, but we'll know more when she wakes up." Don nodded and shook the doctor's hand gratefully. Don was let into Andrea's room and he sat down watching her as she slept. At least he thought of it as sleeping. She looked so peaceful. Don can remember the first time she fell asleep on his lap in front of the TV.

_Don and Andrea sat together, Andrea on Don's knee, watching TV. They were watching a hockey game. Andrea didn't really like Hockey but if she could sit with her dad she was happy. Andrea was 5 and she was curled up on Don's lap. It got to halftime before Andrea was asleep. She had curled into Don's warm chest and closed her eyes. Don noticed her even breathing but when Alan tried to take her up to bed, she whimpered and gripped Don's t-shirt. Don told his dad it was fine. He'd take her up to bed later. But they never got there. Alan had gone down at 11:30 when the game was due to finish and found both fast asleep in the armchair, Andrea had curled in closer to Don and he had his arms holding her to his chest so they were comfortable. Alan smiled and grabbed a blanket off the back on the couch, he laid it over the pair to keep them warm and then turned the TV and the light off leaving them to sleep peacefully._

Don knew that of course he didn't know what happened after he fell asleep but his brother and father had filled him in. Charlie said Don had fallen asleep before Charlie went up to bed. And Alan had told him that he covered them with the blanket and turned off the TV and light. Don gripped Andrea's hand and relaxed back into the chair.

* * *

When Andrea came to, the first thing she noticed was pain. It was dull and she suspected that had to do with the morphine but there was still pain. The same sort of pain you'd get in your scraped your knee and had washed the dirt off it. But where it was confused and worried her. There shouldn't be pain there. At least not at 16. She slowly prised her eyes open and screwed up her nose. Disinfectant rolled off the walls and floor in waves. It was like they'd painted the annoyingly pale green walls with it. She looked to her right and saw that she had a private room, then noting the pressure on her left hand she turned her head and smiled. Her father had fallen asleep grasping her hand. She gently moved her fingers and giggled softly as he woke with a start.

"Daddy, it's ok." She said, her voice was rough with disuse but her smile was still the same. Don looked at her for a long minute, then stood up and kissed her forehead, her cheeks and finally her nose. She giggled.

"Dad," she said, pulling away slightly.

"No, Andi, baby – you mean the world to me and I don't ever want to lose you. If I did…I don't know what I'd do. I'd be lost." He said.

"Daddy…you're not going to lose me. I'm staying right here." She said.

"Good. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Don said, kissing her cheek again.

* * *

"Oh, wow. Another balloon bouquet. Cute." Andrea said the excitement gone from her voice her Grandfather had given her one, and then Amita and Charlie had and now Liz, Nikki, Colby and David had as well. There was always something there had to be multiples of. They had all gone to the gift shop downstairs and brought her the bouquets so that she knew she was loved. Everyone told her but it was so much easier to show rather than say. Words were flat and meaningless a gesture spoke volumes. And this was the best gesture in the world. She smiled at her family and extended adopted family, there was no better place (except maybe at home) than where she was to be thankful for all they did for her and what she could give them in return. They hadn't lost her and they weren't about to. She had more chance of losing them then they did of her.


End file.
